SouthWest NanoTechnologies,
Inc. (SWeNT), the world leader in high quality carbon nanotubes (CNT), has
received an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) consent order which will
permit SWeNT to manufacture and distribute Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNT)
for commercial applications.
Previously the Company distributed its SWCNT via a Low Release, Low Exposure
(LOREX) PMN exemption from the EPA.
SWeNT is currently the only U.S. manufacturer permitted to commercially
distribute SWCNTs.
The EPA granted this consent order under the Toxic Control Substances Act
(TSCA), which requires defining each company's carbon nanotubes as a new
chemical substance. The EPA also requires manufacturers who intend to distribute
commercial quantities to obtain a consent order prior to CNT commercial
production although small quantities are permitted for research and
development.
"We have ramped up our production capacity and manufacturing teams in
anticipation of this consent order, and will now be in a position to satisfy the
commercial demand for our products in the specified applications," explains
SWeNT CEO Dave Arthur.
The consent order states that SWeNT's Single-Wall CNTs can be used as a
conductive coatings component, utilizing the CNTs as a dispersion or ink. Using
patented V2V Ink Technology, developed by alliance partner Chasm Technologies,
Inc., SWeNT has produced CNT Inks that allow customers to print large-area,
low-cost devices for a wide range of applications including energy-efficient
lighting, affordable photovoltaics, improved energy storage and printed
electronics.
SWeNT also produces Specialty Multi-Wall (SMW) CNTs via a separate consent
order previously granted by the EPA. Applications for this SMW material include
composites for enhanced body armor and as an additive in resins, thermoplastics
and elastomers for enhanced electrical performance necessary for improving
battery performance in Plug-in Electric Hybrid Vehicles (PHEV).